AtBoT II: End of an Era
by brawlingwolf
Summary: "Where there is life, there will be death." Such were the words Pit was left with at the celebration of his child's birth. But even with this prophecy, he never could have prepared himself for the Underworld invasion and a new war with Nemo. The true finale of the OWLD/AtBoT series has come, and indeed, there will be death. Rated for violence, language and brief suggestive themes.
1. Chapter I: Disturbance

The sunlight of the beginnings of autumn warmed the islets of Skyworld comfortably, bringing the white fluffy clouds around them and coaxing out the rich green of the grasses on their warm earthen surfaces. The light sparkled on the spring's waters as Lucina kicked up a small splash before submerging her bare foot again. She rested against the warm, smooth surface of a rock with her eyes closed and a smile on her face as her ears enjoyed the beauty of the melody her companion played.

Pit smiled as well, bracing the instrument on his shoulder and running his fingers across its neck as he drew the bow over its strings, some slow, some quick, as he weaved the notes together to create his music. Once he had finished, he removed it from his shoulder and set it down gently next to him before sliding off his rock to join her.

"Beautifully done," she remarked, and he grinned as he dipped his head in a bow. "Tell me again how long you've been playing?"

"I had been when I was young," he replied. "Before war started threatening us at every turn, I would play for Lady Palutena. But..." his smile faded. "When she passed, I guess I lost my inspiration." After a moment, it returned as he came to rest next to her. "But I found a new one." After over a thousand years, he'd decided to take up the practice again to entertain his new partner. He'd been rusty at first, of course, but almost a decade of practice had reawakened his talent with it.

"Well, I consider myself quite lucky, then," she teased as he pulled her into his arms. "You're quite the musician."

"When you live for eternity, you find ways to pass the time," he laughed. "But your enjoyment is a nice bonus." Her long blue hair tickled his face as she leaned in to place a kiss to his lips, one he gladly returned before she pulled back to smile at him.

"I certainly prefer it to the grueling training your brother has put me through!"

"What, still?" he grinned. "I told him to lighten up a little."

"Oh, don't worry," she chuckled. "You know that staff I picked up?" He nodded. "I've set him straight with it several times."

"That might have been overkill," he agreed. "Where did you even find that thing?"

"I noticed you had some old weapons lying around and decided to see what I could make with them, what with those guides you have posted around."

"Ah, right," he nodded. "Well, just make sure you use it on enemies, not on us!"

"Don't worry, love," she laughed. "I only use it when Kuro starts getting a swelled head." He chuckled and pulled her down for another kiss, holding her gently against him.

"Lord Pit!" a voice called, and he groaned slightly as he and Lucina looked up just as Ephraim landed a short distance away, his black hair tousled more than usual from the wind, and he held his trademark Samurai Blade. "I need to- Oh." His embarrassment etched itself all over his face. "Sorry for the interruption."

"No harm done, Ephy," the god replied as he released his partner and got to his feet, and she followed his example a moment later. Once Ephraim's embarrassment faded, concern and urgency quickly became apparent in his expression. Pit frowned, worried. "What's wrong?" Ephraim took a deep breath, and his hesitation made his leader nervous.

"U-Underworld monsters," he stuttered, and Pit could tell even he was having trouble believing it. None of them said anything for a moment.

"What?" Lucina asked, her voice guarded with that same disbelief.

"I wish I knew," Ephraim went on. "Commander Kuro said he thought something was off, so he checked your pool in the temple and said he found Underworld troops attacking some remote village. He already left to handle them but wanted me to tell you." Pit watched the angel carefully for a moment. They hadn't had issues with the Underworld Army since the fight with Mastema, and that was over a thousand years ago.

"Okay, okay," he cleared his throat. "Maybe they're just a few renegades. What were they doing?"  
"They were attacking the humans," Ephraim replied, his voice shaking. "It's a farming village, I think. Their crops were destroyed and their homes are being broken down."  
"No!" Lucina said quickly. "No... That can't be. But why?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Pit growled, anger and grief quickly boiling within him. He took to the skies with Ephraim following quickly behind and Lucina struggling to catch up as he headed for the Skyworld Temple, unable to believe what he'd been told.

Was it true? Had the Underworld Army launched an attack? Why? Were they really renegades, or were they being ordered to strike? If so, who was leading them?

"Nemo..." he mumbled too softly for his companions to hear. If they had escaped or were under someone else's command, Pit had no doubt the Oracle of Darkness would immediately do everything he could to stop them. But if he himself was commanding them... What had provoked him to strike?

Since they defeated Grima and Lucina had come to Skyworld, the humans had been rather quiet as they rebuilt across Ylisse and Valm. Save a few bandits, they had been peaceful and Pit saw no reason whatsoever for Nemo to decide to suddenly strike against them, especially without warning.

As he came to the temple and headed for the Gate chamber, he chewed his lip. The location didn't make any sense either. Of all the places he could strike, why a remote farming village? Why not head for a larger center of life and commerce? Was he hoping Pit wouldn't notice? He flew up to the pool and waved his hand over the water, pulling up the battle below. He quickly found Kuro pummeling the Underworld fools, but felt a twinge of fear as he realized his brother was struggling, even if only slightly. Nemo's new troops were built for quality, not quantity, and it was easily apparent as they attacked and countered Kuro's strikes. Around him, smoke billowed in the air and humans screeched as they were shot down.

"These aren't just renegades," he mumbled. "Ephraim!" He spun around to find his angel standing at attention. "Get down there now. Kuro needs help." He could tell Ephraim was already worried about the fight and the news that his seemingly unbeatable Commander was struggling only concerned him more. But he nodded and headed for the Gate once Pit had opened it and dove into the air. Once it had closed behind him, the god sighed heavily and created a lift for Lucina to join him on the platform. Once she had, she took his hand gently in hers.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked, having no need to confirm whether he was okay.

"I don't know yet," he replied. "If it gets bad, I may send you down with them to help quell the monsters. But I need to know why this is happening..."

"Not to mention people may be rather confused why the princess of Ylisse suddenly has wings and is fighting there with no sign of the Exalt," she mumbled.

True to her words, close to sixteen years had passed since Grima's defeat, and the infant Lucina had grown into a fine and noble princess under Chrom's guidance. While she could handle a blade well enough, she wasn't nearly as skilled as her counterpart from the future who could arguably take down an army of Risen on her own. But while the mortal Lucina grew and aged, Pit's partner in Skyworld did not- not noticeably, anyway. Her wings hadn't yet matured, though Pit figured they would within the next few years. Outside of that, she had perhaps grown and matured a slight bit in her time with him. Even if she didn't, he hadn't particularly noticed.

"I need to talk to Nemo," he said rather dully, changing the subject and turning to the pool. He again waved his outstretched hand over it and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. He focused, seeking out the lord of the Underworld in his home realm, but couldn't seem to quite pinpoint where he was. "Nemo?" he called out, both out loud and within his mind as he continued to scan. But there was no answer. "Nemo! Answer me!" Again, nothing. His frustration quickly grew stronger, and he frowned. "Nemo!" he all but yelled. "We need to talk. NOW!" Nothing. He sighed and massaged his forehead. "Great."

"Do you really think he could be behind this?" Lucina wondered as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"I don't know... But if he isn't, then whatever is probably managed to capture him. But I feel like we would have known about it..." He shook his head and turned his attention to the pool. "Maybe..." He changed his focus and spoke up again. "Levica? Can you hear me?" He waited, but again there was no answer, and he felt fear settle in his core like a ball of ice. "Levica!" He scanned through the Underworld but found no sign of her. "Oh, no..." He slowly turned his head to exchange a worried glance with Lucina before again facing the pool.

"Don't jump to conclusions," she told him, though he could tell she could barely take her own advice.

"Okay..." he pursed his lips and tried to push back the wavering in his voice. If there was anyone he knew he could rely on... "Remiel!" But it seemed even the first prince of the Underworld, the pure embodiment of the order between Light and Darkness, wouldn't or couldn't answer him. Panic forced his heart rate to rise. "Remiel, please! Answer me!" He waited, holding his breath.

"Uh, Rem can't really answer right now," a voice replied. "Can I take a message?" Pit braced his arms against the pool and lowered his head, sighing a bit in relief.

"Henry?" he called as Lucina's hands tightened on his shoulders. "That you?"

"Last I checked," Henry replied. But even this jovial, if not somewhat scary, youth seemed weighed down and distracted. "But it's a good thing you called. I... Well, I'm trying to get Rem to Skyworld."

"What? What happened?" Pit demanded quickly.

"He's hurt," Henry said rather bluntly. "Lotta blood. And much as I don't mind decapitating wounds, it's probably better if it stays in his body. So I figured he'd be better off up there." Pit grit his teeth.

"What happened to him? Are you okay?"  
"I'm a little banged up since some troops were trying to stop me from getting out. But you know what's funny? Death curses work on them too! I just mumbled a few hexes and poof! They were done for."

"Okay..." Pit took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Was the Underworld attacked? Or are they just rebelling? What's going on down there?"

"Rem could explain it better," the silver-haired boy replied. "I'm not really sure myself."

"What about the ones that are attacking the humans?"  
"I can promise it wasn't my fault! I don't order them around. Usually Dad does."

"And there's no one else that suddenly showed up or anything? Mastema? Anyone?"

"Not that I've noticed," Henry confirmed. "If I had, they'd be ash right now. Anything that hurts my family pays in blood."

"Alright, alright," Pit muttered. "Just..." Just what? He found himself lost for a course of action. Remiel needed help badly, from the sound of it, and Henry was a far cry from mastering his abilities as a spirit rather than a human.

"Pit!" he heard another voice call and shifted the focus of the pool to the village. "Can you hear me?" Some weak relief filled his heart for a moment as he found his brother standing there.

"Yeah, Kuro, I can hear you. Are you okay?"

"I've had worse," he replied. "We finished off the morons, but... Well, these people are gonna be hard-pressed to recover."  
"No..." Pit lowered his head again. "Okay, look. There's not much we can do right now. I need you and Ephraim to head for the entrance to the Underworld. Find Henry and help him get Remiel to Skyworld."

"What's wrong with him?" Ephraim demanded.

"I'm not entirely sure," Pit admitted. "All I know is that he's hurt and can't come on his own. So go! Quickly!"

"On it, Lord Pit!" Both angels quickly departed, leaving the village survivors to repair the damage done and mourn their dead.

"Where the heck is Nemo?" Kuro inquired. "What's he doing?!"  
"I don't know," the god of Light mumbled. "That's what I was trying to figure out, but he's nowhere to be found."

"Great. Remiel had better be able to tell us something."

"I hope so. Look, Kuro, just be careful, okay? Both of you."

"Don't worry," Kuro assured him. "We'll be there soon." Pit nodded and turned his attention back to the Underworld's princes. "Henry? Can you hear me?"  
"Loud and clear!" he replied.

"Kuro and Ephraim are on their way. Meet them at the entrance of the Underworld and they'll help you get to Skyworld."

"Much appreciated. Rem is kind of heavy when he's unconscious." He fell silent for a moment. "...He'll be okay, right?"

"I'll do everything I can," Pit vowed. "I promise." With that, he stepped back and sighed heavily.

"I should probably get Falchion polished up," Lucina said softly, and he turned to her with an ache in his heart. He said nothing, but pulled her into his arms and held her close to him, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I don't know what's going on," he said dully. "But I get the feeling it's just beginning." He held her tighter as she wrapped her arms around his back. "Please, Lucina. Be careful. I don't want to lose you."

"I'll do my best," she told him gently. "Pit, I know you'll bring peace back. You'll restore the light of the world just like you always do. And I'll be there with you every step of the way." He nodded to agree with her, but doubt surfaced in his heart and mind. Hades had almost killed him several times in their battles, he'd narrowly escaped Nemo finishing him in their duel so long ago, and several people had agreed that he had survived the fight with Mastema by pure luck.

He could only wonder when that luck would finally run out.


	2. Chapter II: Impossibility

Both Pit and Lucina hurried out of the Skyworld Temple, and the god could feel his heart hammering in his chest. He silently begged Henry and Remiel to hurry, desperate to ask the first prince what he knew of their father. His mind could barely work to wrap itself around what had happened and he tried not to jump to conclusions, but doing so proved difficult. In his distraction, he found himself running into a certain someone coming toward the temple just as he was exiting it.

"Oof!" she complained once she'd stepped back from their collision. She rubbed her arm and looked up into Pit's eyes with her own deeper blue that mirrored Lucina's. "Father? You're white as your wings! What's wrong?" Pit shook his head to bring himself back to the present.

"Forgive me, Aegle," he pleaded of his daughter, and she waved him off with a reassuring smile.

Aegle had grown quite a bit from the infant he'd held in his arms for the first time fifteen years previous. Her brown hair seemed eternally messy, just as his was, and she'd inherited his grin while her mother had given her the blue eyes and fair skin that made up most of her appearance. She dressed herself in a sleeveless white tunic with a split up the side that met the brown belt she tied around her waist, and under this she wore a dark undershirt and leggings. Over her knees were cream colored boots of sorts that, of course, sported sandals. She wore tanned, fingerless gloves on each arm, one of which hid the Brand of the Exalt on her wrist. Though young, she proved herself to be quite powerful, and Kuro had made a point in training her to fight.

"Come on, Father," she urged. "What's bothering you?" His lips parted to begin forming a reply, but his voice caught in his throat and nothing came out.

"We're not entirely sure," Lucina admitted as she came forward. Aegle frowned.

"Does this have something to do with Uncle Kuro and Captain Ephraim running off so fast?"

"The Underworld Army attacked an Ylissean village," her mother explained. "Your father can't find Master Nemo or Levica and Remiel is injured. Henry is bringing him here right now." Aegle's eyes widened in fear.  
"No..." was all she could manage to say. They waited in worried silence for a moment until Kuro and Ephraim finally appeared toting Remiel's unconscious body and Henry followed close behind, riding the light and darkness around him with a small mob of crows following him. The angels set Remiel down gently once they had reached the islet where Pit and his family stood and Henry shooed the birds away quickly as he joined them.

Remiel was limp, his eyes squeezed shut like he was trying to block some awful experience out of his awareness. His clothes were torn and his skin was bruised and bloody, his lip cut and a streak of red on his face that stained his blond hair. Pit felt his heart jump and clench, and he said nothing as he carefully scooped the boy into his arms and headed back into the temple with the rest of the assembled group following him. Kuro slipped ahead and opened the doors leading to the large Hot Spring near Pit's chamber, and the god hurried in and placed his burden gently in the water.

"You really have no idea what happened?" he asked Henry as Lucina and Aegle went about tending to Remiel's wounds. Aegle seemed to have a gift for healing, and Lucina knew much more about treating wounds than he did. Henry watched his brother with concern, holding his cape tight around his body.

"No," he replied dully as one of the crows following him came to rest on his shoulder, and it seemed he didn't have the energy to shoo it away. "I heard some commotion or other in the shrine and went to go see what was going on, and I saw Remiel limping outside. He passed out just as I got to him. I didn't know where Dad was, so I thought it'd be better to bring him here."  
"Alright..." Pit nodded slowly. They fell silent until Remiel finally stirred a short while later, groaning and blinking his eyes open. He sat up quickly with wide, fearful eyes before he hunched over with a moan of pain.

"It's all right, Remiel," Lucina said softly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. He scanned around wildly until it seemed to occur to him where he was and who it was around him. He let out a heavy breath and looked down, but said nothing. Pit motioned for his partner and daughter to step back, and they complied as he approached the boy.

"Are you okay, Rem?" he asked, and Remiel's red-violet gaze slowly crept up to meet his eyes.

"Lord Pit..." he mumbled. "How did I get here?"  
"Henry brought you," Pit replied. "Do you remember what happened? Who attacked you? Where's Nemo?" At the mention of his father's name, Remiel's eyes blanked again and he brought his knees up close to his chest as he dropped his gaze.

"Father..." he choked. "I don't know what happened..." Pit swallowed his panic and took a deep breath.

"Please, Rem. I need to know what's happening in the Underworld." Rem looked up again weakly and sighed.

"F-Father attacked me," he finally uttered, his voice strangled. Pit felt like his heart had stopped, and he looked up at his brother in alarm. Kuro seemed about as shocked as he was, and merely shrugged as Pit stared at him. The god returned his attention to Remiel.

"What do you mean he attacked you?!" he demanded a bit sharply, and Remiel flinched.

"I..." he inhaled slowly and deeply. "I noticed that some of our troops were attacking the Overworld, and I went to talk to him about it since I didn't know why he was there. But when I got into the audience chamber..." His voice broke and he paused to calm himself for a moment. "He had ordered a couple of them to imprison Mother." Henry inhaled sharply behind them. "That's when I confronted him. He... He said he was tired of waiting and he was acting on his part of your bargain. And..." Remiel paused and looked up into Pit's eyes. "He said if you try to do anything to stop him, then you'll be at war."

"Too late," Kuro mumbled harshly.

"I tried to talk him out of it," Remiel went on. "I wanted to know why he was doing it, what had happened, but he said it wasn't any of my business. But when I tried to stop him, he attacked me and caught me off guard. I don't know if I escaped or he let me go... but he said to tell you that your deal is off." He paused. "The next thing I know of is waking up here." He turned his head weakly toward his brother. "Thank you, Henry."  
"Hey..." Henry replied dully. "Couldn't let you die. But... Dad really attacked you?" Remiel nodded. "Why? What... That doesn't make any sense."  
"No, it doesn't," Pit agreed as he got to his feet. "None of it does. He's acting on his side of our bargain? That means he's rewriting existence as we know it. But the only reason he'd have to do that is if he decided the humans were beyond teaching, that they were too violent to let live. And they've been at peace since Grima fell." He started pacing, an action Kuro and Ephraim knew meant he was deeply disturbed and concerned. "And he imprisoned Levica and attacked his son. I don't care what the circumstances are... Nemo would never do that. He'd never hurt his family."  
"Well, he basically declared war on us," Kuro pointed out. "And we've got to protect the humans."

"They can't handle an invasion," Lucina mumbled. "Not now... not even Ylisstol. They're still recovering from Grima." Pit nodded.

"I know. This..." He massaged his forehead and sighed heavily. "I just... This doesn't make any sense! Nemo wouldn't... would he?"

"Dad may get a little bloodthirsty when he's mad, but he wouldn't do this," Henry pointed out. "Not on his own. Maybe something is controlling him?"

"But no one attacked the Underworld," Remiel replied. "And I didn't sense anything strange about him when I confronted him. I know it's strange, but... I think I'd be able to tell if something was controlling him."  
"So you're saying you're positive it was really him," Kuro prompted, and Remiel looked down to the Hot Spring's water.

"I... I don't want to be," he admitted. "But I really do think it was him. But why..." Again, he fell silent.

"There's something wrong," Pit said firmly. "And we need to figure out what." He turned to his Commander and Captain. "We're going to the Underworld as soon as possible. I want to talk to Nemo personally- face to face. If there's something wrong with him, maybe I can help get it out."

"Yes, sir," Ephraim dipped his head.

"Lucina," Pit continued as he turned to her. "Keep an eye on things here, will you?" She nodded, though her concern was obvious on her face. "Aegle, I want you to look after Rem, okay?"  
"But-" Remiel began to protest, but said nothing else as Pit turned back to him.

"You're in no condition to go back down there," he said. "I'm your guardian and I don't want to see you get hurt any more." Remiel watched him for a moment longer before nodding slowly.

"I understand," he mumbled. "Thank you, Lord Pit." Pit turned around toward Henry.

"I guess you can go or you can stay," he said, and Henry shrugged.

"If Dad managed to make mince meat out of Rem, then I wouldn't stand a choice. I trust you, Lord Pit. If it won't kill anyone, I'll stay here with my brother."  
"That's fine," Pit agreed. "Then Kuro, Ephraim, it'll just be the three of us. But I bet if anyone can take whatever this is, it's the three of us. And I don't want to waste any time, so we'll head out as soon as you two are ready. I know the last battle wasn't exactly easy on you."  
"I'm fine," Ephraim insisted. "It's nothing major." Kuro nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Then we'll head out immediately."

"Be back soon, Rem!" Ephraim called to his friend, and the angels and their god headed for the entrance, but Lucina grabbed Pit's arm and stopped him. He turned around to meet her worried gaze.

"Be careful," she told him, and he gave her a soft smile as he touched her cheek.

"I will," he promised and pulled her in for a brief kiss. "We'll be back soon. I promise. And hopefully we'll have answers."

"Good luck, Father," Aegle bade as she crouched down to tend to a nasty bruise on Remiel's arm. He didn't look at her nor anyone else, only the waters around him. "Come back in one piece!"  
"Don't worry," Pit replied. "I'll see you all soon. And Rem, feel better." Remiel looked up with a pained and somehow guilty look in his eyes, but said nothing. With a small, soft sigh, Pit turned and hurried out to meet Kuro and Ephraim and prepare for their journey to the Underworld.


	3. Chapter III: Confrontation

Reaching the Underworld proved to be less difficult than Pit had expected as he led the way down, Ephraim on his left and Kuro on his right. No one had said a word throughout the flight, though the fear, concern, and confusion they all felt was nearly tangible. He knew Ephraim was worried about Remiel and the attacks on the humans, while Kuro was probably silently raging over Nemo's actions. Pit was well aware that Kuro and Nemo had never had the best relationship, though they had learned to be civil and even somewhat friendly with each other. But then again, Kuro had seen something no one else could even guess at: Hades's destruction at Nemo's hands. Pit could only wonder how cold the Oracle had been, what Kuro had witnessed to see the previous lord of the Underworld fall so easily.

By the time they reached the City of Souls, which had remained largely unchanged in over a thousand years, several Underworld monsters showed up and opened fire on them. With a grunt of surprise, Kuro invoked the Energy Shield from the brace on his wrist, then switched to his bow as he and Ephraim returned the volley of shots. Pit summoned his bow as well and dove down, slashing through a shadowy creature that streaked toward him. He dispatched it quickly and circled around to meet his angels as they dodged around the attacks and jerked around in the air, Kuro retaliating with his bow and Ephraim with his Samurai Blade. Between the three of them, they managed to defeat the wave, but it left them panting.

"That was some welcoming party," Kuro huffed. "He definitely doesn't want us here."  
"Let's move," Pit all but ordered. "We're on his territory. He'll have more where those came from and I'd rather have the option of fighting on the ground." They nodded and the three hurried forth, dodging around enemy fire and the blue pillars and white trees of the city.

"I'm having an odd sense of déjà vu," Kuro muttered.

"Why?" Pit wondered as he ducked under a shot taken at him.

"Nothing," the red-eyed angel said quickly, and Pit took that as a hint to close the subject and never reopen it.

"Well, at least he's keeping us busy!" Ephraim said sarcastically as he shot down something that resembled a shadowy insect of sorts. "Are we there yet?"

"Just about," Pit replied. "Hang in there, guys!" They continued on and Pit ignored the pain from the shot that hit him in the arm. A short while later that felt much longer as they dodged, were hit, and retaliated, they came to the landing in front of the entrance of the shrine where Nemo had long ago made his home. The trio landed and Ephraim curled over, bracing his hands on his knees as he panted.

"That could have been easier," Kuro grumbled as he wiped his forehead. "I liked the Underworld jerks from before he reformed the army better."  
"Not much we can do about it," Pit sighed and dismissed his bow in favor of his staff, and a light illuminated from the blue orb atop it.

"Is a talk even necessary at this point?" Kuro inquired as he crossed his arms. "I think our buddy Nemo made his point quite clear when he sent that mob."  
"I need to know if it's really Nemo," Pit insisted. "I know it sounds stupid, okay? But if there's something wrong, something controlling him, then I want to save him from it." Kuro's harsh gaze sent anger through him. "Do you want a repeat of the Chaos Kin?!" Kuro blinked, stunned into silence, and Pit could see on his face that he was wrestling with several sudden emotions inside him- anger, grief, and hate among them. Ephraim's gaze went from Pit to Kuro and back, and he shifted his weight awkwardly and rubbed his arm with his free hand.

"No," Kuro finally spat. "Fine. Let's go." Pit nodded and sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know you don't like me bringing it up. I don't like to either." Kuro shook his head and waved him off, though his irritation still darkened his eyes. Pit took the lead and strengthened the light of his staff as they entered the corridor leading toward the audience chamber, and three sets of footsteps echoed off the walls as they headed on in silence.

After some time, they came to the double doors they were looking for and opened them quickly, all three rushing in. Kuro and Ephraim brought their weapons up to the ready, but Pit attempted to remain calm as they walked down the dark, royal blue carpet leading from the doors to the throne on the other side of the room.

"I figured you would come," the seat's occupant greeted rather emotionlessly, and Pit clenched his free hand into a fist as his blue eyes met Nemo's red gaze.

"You did, huh?" he replied as the lord of the Underworld stood slowly. "Well, then you probably know why I'm here." Nemo nodded, taking several steps forward and folding his hands behind his back.

"We're at war," he said matter-of-factly. "I trust Remiel delivered my message?" Pit desperately scanned over the silver-haired Oracle, looking for any sign of an outside source controlling him, a reason for this sudden change in behavior. But he found nothing externally nor internally. As far as he could tell, this was the same Nemo he had met in the Chaos Vortex so many centuries ago. The realization sent Pit's blood boiling.

"How could you do this?!" he demanded, his voice loud and angry. "You attacked your own son!"  
"He stood in my way," Nemo said solemnly. "I didn't want to, Pit. But in the end, I had no choice."

"Is that why you imprisoned Levica?" Kuro inquired sharply from Pit's side.

"Yes."

Nemo's blunt nature was almost unbelievable. If he felt any pain over what he had done, he was doing an excellent job hiding it. Pit found himself taken back to their first few meetings, and Nemo's words from so long ago echoed in his head.

"_My personal feelings have no place here." _

The god of Light took a deep breath in a somewhat successful attempt to calm himself.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice low. "Why now?"

"Grima left me weak," Nemo replied. "If it hadn't been for that, I would have finished off the humans back when they resurrected him. But now, I've recovered, and it's time they fell. I've waited far too long." Under different circumstances, Pit would have accepted his explanation, but it just didn't make sense to him.

"The humans saved Henry's life!" he pointed out. "They ultimately defeated Grima. They've been peaceful since then."

"It doesn't matter," the lord of the Underworld sighed. "It's only going to happen again. It doesn't matter if it's Grima or Medeus, Fomortiis or Loptyr. They will try to overpower each other again, and it will only lead to bloodshed."

"But they've always managed to save themselves!" Pit argued. "We haven't had to involve ourselves since Mastema. I'm not even sure if they needed us to stop Grima. Yes, things may go wrong, but they know how to set it right!"  
"At what cost?!" Nemo demanded. "No. Pit, you're still naïve even after all these years. You've seen how they slaughter each other. There is no hope for them."

"Then why are you attacking them like this?" Kuro asked sharply. "Why are you sending your monsters to kill them? Why make them suffer? Why not just wipe them all out at once like Hades did?" Nemo scowled at him.

"Because it would leave me weak," he snapped. "And because you managed to find a way to avoid it last time. I'm not leaving myself open for you to come in and kill me while I don't have the energy to fight back."

"Then I'll fight you now," Pit challenged, dismissing his staff and summoning his bow. "I won't allow this, Nemo. If you want to rewrite existence, you'll have to go through me just like last time." Nemo sighed and shut his eyes.

"Very well. I won't be nice this time, Pit. I will see you fall." With that, his eyes snapped open and a sweep of his hand cast a blast of darkness that knocked the Skyworld trio off their feet. Pit sprung off his hands and regained his balance, and he retaliated with a strike of light from his staff. Nemo melted into the shadows and remained there for a moment, and the two angels and their god scanned around quickly for any sign of him.

"Wah!" Pit gasped as their opponent suddenly appeared next to him, and Nemo's fingers wrapped around his throat before he had a chance to retaliate. Nemo smirked briefly before summoning his power with his free hand and hitting the god hard, sending him flying up and crashing through a window above. Somewhere along the way, he dropped his staff, and he hit the ground outside the shrine with a thud that left him stunned for a moment. "H-He's gotten stronger..." he mumbled as he forced himself back to his feet and summoned is bow.

He could vaguely hear the shouts of battle inside, but it wasn't long before Nemo suddenly appeared from the shadows a short distance away from him. He said nothing, only cast forward several shots that sped toward their target. Pit summoned a barrier and rolled to the side just before it broke, and he looked up to find Kuro and Ephraim arriving. Kuro's gaze scanned around before his eyes widened and he readied his bow again.

"Pit!" he called down. "We've got company!" Pit would have liked to turn and find out just what was coming, but he knew taking his eyes off of Nemo for even a second would only end in disaster for him.

"Well?" the lord of the Underworld inquired. "Make a move, Pit. Why are you holding back?"  
"Because something's wrong," he replied, gripping his bow as Ephraim landed with his god's staff in tow. "Because none of this makes any sense! The Nemo I know would never, under any circumstance, attack his own family. What's wrong with you?!"  
"Take a look at me, Pit," Nemo said rather bluntly, spreading his arms as he took a few steps forward. "Do you see anything? Sense anything?" Pit chewed his lip, his heart pounding as he again desperately looked for any sign of something amiss with his friend. But, of course, he found nothing.

"...No..."

"This is my doing. I had to be ready to do anything. And you know our bargain: If I decide to act on my end, then you can't stand in my way. I have every reason to kill you." The sharp iciness of his words stabbed at Pit's heart, and he swallowed back a sudden lump in his throat. "And if I must, then I will."

"Nemo," he pleaded. "Tell me what happened! What's wrong with you?!"

"For the last time, there's nothing wrong!" he snapped. "Deep down, you're still a child, aren't you? Desperately clinging to some false hope when the truth is right in front of you. Open your eyes, Pit! If you're going to fight, then fight! If not, then get out of my way and stay there." Pit clenched his jaw and held his hand out, summoning back his staff to earn a brief grunt of surprise from Ephraim as it disappeared from his grip and reappeared in the god's. He dodged to the side and hit Nemo in the abdomen with the staff's handle, forcing him back and following up with a blast of light. Nemo skidded back but lurched forward as Kuro's charged arrow hit him in the back. The red-eyed angel landed with a harsh look of anger on his face.

Without a word or a change in his expression, Nemo swept around and cast another wave of darkness that knocked the angels back, stunning them both, and Pit felt his heart jump with fear as he finally noticed the Underworld Army closing in on them.

"Don't worry, Lord Pit!" Ephraim called as he heaved himself back upright. "We can handle this. You focus on Nemo!"

"All the better," Nemo said lowly. "I'll have you to myself."  
"Just you and me," Pit agreed and dismissed his staff, casting his power into his bow to strengthen his arrows. He rushed forward and released a charged shot, but Nemo cast a barrier that shattered once the arrow hit it and the pieces flew forth and struck Pit several times. He grit his teeth and sprinted toward his opponent, slashing his blade down and managing to score a cut on Nemo's chest. Nemo glared at him before a dark smile flickered on his lips.

"All right. Now, I'm done playing."

"Wha... Oof!" Pit grunted as Nemo rushed forth, cloaked in darkness that blinded him before he had a chance to force it back, and hit him hard in the stomach with something that sent a searing pain through his midsection. Nemo wasted no time and didn't give him a chance to even consider recovering. He was at Pit's throat and slammed him to the ground, wracking his body with pain.

"N-Nemo..." he gasped, fear spreading through him as the Oracle smirked dangerously at him.

"I've been waiting far too long for this," Nemo said darkly and quietly. "To finally pluck you from the sky and crush you." He chuckled, only adding to Pit's fear. "It's been nice knowing you, Pitty."

Pit blinked.

"_Hello, Pitty Pat!"  
"Welcome to MY Underworld, Pitty Pat."  
"Oh, snap. Poor Pitty got duped."_

"_Enjoy your journey south, Pitty!" _

The god of Light launched himself up, springing and planting his feet firmly against Nemo's abdomen and kicked up, sending his adversary sprawling as he got back to his feet and gripped his bow tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. His heart hammered in his chest, his mind working to find some other explanation. It couldn't be. It was impossible. And yet, here it was. He clenched his teeth and raised his voice.

"Hades!"


	4. Chapter IV: The Threat

It was like time had stopped. No one said a word. Not even the monsters attacked. Pit wasn't sure if he was panting or had simply stopped breathing, and even his rapid heartbeat seemed like some far off sound. His wide blue gaze was on hyper alertness as he watched Nemo, lying on the ground. It seemed like years before he finally smiled and chuckled.

"Oh, dear," he sighed as he braced himself up with one arm, wiping his lip with the other hand as his red eyes fell on the god of Light. He nonchalantly got to his feet and brushed the dirt off his dark blue robe. "Did I slip up?" He continued gazing at Pit with a dangerous smile on his face. "It seems the cat's out of the bag."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kuro demanded. "Hades?! Like... HADES?!" Nemo laughed and turned to face the red-eyed angel.

"I'm honestly surprised Pitty figured it out before you did, Ptooey!" Kuro clenched his jaw and scowled at him. "I thought you were usually the sharp one."

"What have you done with Nemo?!" Pit yelled. Nemo's red gaze turned on him, but the burning, maniacal humor that watched him disturbed him. "He destroyed you!"  
"He THOUGHT he destroyed me," Nemo- rather, Hades- replied. "But Pitty, I AM the god of the Underworld. He thought he could erase me and just steal my power. But he was wrong- that power IS me." He shook his head. "And the little fool didn't realize it until it was too late. I'm only paying him back for what he did to me all those years ago!" He strode forward confidently as Pit took a step back. "I must say, this puny form is much more useful than I would have thought." An aura of darkness erupted around Nemo's outstretched hand. "To be the lord of the Underworld AND the god of Darkness- no one, not even you will be able to stop me!"

"Where is Nemo?" the god of Light growled. It was still unbelievable. This was Nemo he was looking at, not Hades. After over a thousand years, no one would have expected him to still be alive.

"Still desperately clinging to hope, aren't you?" Nemo- no, not Nemo, Hades- chided. But it was Nemo's voice, his gaze, his face. To truly think that Hades was the one inside, the one speaking, commanding his body's every action... "Maybe I crushed him, destroyed every scrap of him and took what was left for myself. There's nothing left- only this shell that I'll get rid of soon enough." Pit panted and grit his teeth, pulling his bow apart into two blades and setting his battle stance. But Nemo held his hand up and clucked his tongue. Or, rather, Hades commanded him to do it. "Not so fast, Pitty Pat. Maybe I'm just crushing your hope. Or maybe that little scrap is still alive somewhere in this head and soul, trapped and crying out for you to save him from the torture I've put him through." The maniacal grin on Nemo's face made Pit's skin crawl. "Oh, but don't worry. I'll stamp out his remains eventually."

"But... he's alive?" Pit shook his head vigorously in an attempt to regain his focus. "That's why you didn't just wipe out the humans! You want to murder them!"

"Bingo!" Hades replied. "That's the plan, Pitty." He turned to face the god of Light with a dark and sinister face. "I'm going to take everything you hold dear and destroy it, starting with the humans. Oh, you've fought tooth and nail to keep them safe, and yet they keep destroying each other. That must hurt, hm?" Pit flinched. "Oh, don't worry. I'll solve that little problem. I'll burn their cities to the ground and slaughter them like cattle!" Pit felt his muscles clench, and he sprinted forward with a wordless shout. But Nemo disappeared into the shadows, leaving him panting. "And it won't end there, Pitty. Your scrap of an angel over there... Ephraim, right? Named for your _father?_" The emphasis on the word was enough to earn a grunt of confusion from the blue-eyed angel. "Dead." Ephraim shuddered but held his ground. "Those boys- Remiel and Henry, is it? They'll beg for mercy as their own father destroys them. And you..." Pit spun around as Nemo appeared behind him, just out of his melee range. "Lucina and Aegle- your partner and daughter. I'm SO proud of you!" Pit felt his heart jump and sprint at the sight of that dark, maniacal grin. "Nemo thinks what Medusa and I did to Leale was bad enough. But the things I'll do to your family... they'll be begging for something as merciful as pain! And I'll make you listen to their every scream and cry of agony, their begging for you to save them when you can do NOTHING." He spat the last word, and Pit again rushed forward only to trip as Nemo again disappeared.

"Shut up!" the blue-eyed god cried desperately. "Shut UP!"

"Yes... And once they're all dead, once I've destroyed everything and everyone you love and made you listen and watch, once you've bathed in their blood and choked on your own screams, then maybe, just maybe, I'll be kind enough to kill you!" A blast of darkness hit Pit in the back, and he scrambled to stay on his feet and spun around with his heart hammering in his chest. Nemo readied another strike as a mob of Underworld monsters began their assault on the angels. As he dodged a strike of energy and rolled to the side to catch a quick glimpse of Kuro and Ephraim trying to fight back against the wave. It was obvious that they were quickly being overwhelmed.

"Nemo..." Pit mumbled.

"Come now, Pitty!" Hades teased, and hearing Nemo's voice speak the words made Pit's stomach heave. "Try to make this fun for me, won't you? I've been waiting over a thousand years for this!" Pit clenched his fingers into a tight fist, but he dismissed his bow and summoned his staff in its place. He cast a stream of light to counteract Nemo's darkness before hurrying back to join his angels, aiming a sharp crescent at a soldier ready to hit Ephraim in the back while he was busy with another adversary.

"We're leaving," Pit said quickly, and neither angel said a word. Instead, they fell in on either side of him, and he turned to meet Nemo's gaze with an aching heart as he focused his energy. He lifted his staff and a light enveloped the three of them, and they disappeared a moment later.

"Well, poo," Hades sighed as the Underworld monsters looked around in confusion, still itching to spill blood. "Stand down, minions." He smirked. "We'll get them soon enough. I don't have to play nice anymore." His gaze dropped to Nemo's hand as a dark aura burst forth around it. "Just in time, too. Pretending to be this pompous little weakling is exhausting. He doesn't know how to have fun."

A heartbeat later, the trio arrived back in Skyworld's Gate chamber and all three collapsed into a panting, sweaty, and bloody mess, hearts pounding with adrenaline. Pit dismissed his staff as he sat up, trying to collect his thoughts into one coherent line that he could process with little success.

"Okay," Kuro said once he had caught his breath, though he still sounded incredibly winded. "Well, Pit, are you happy now? Got the answer you were looking for?"  
"I need to talk to Remiel," Pit mumbled, paying little heed to his twin's question. "You two go rest and recover. We'll probably be heading out for battle again soon." He heaved himself up as Kuro did the same, and he held out his hand to Ephraim. The blue-eyed angel didn't immediately take it. "Ephy? Are you okay?" Ephraim looked up at him and finally took his hand, and Pit pulled him to his feet.

"It's nothing," he muttered. Pit frowned, but he had bigger things to worry about.

"You can talk to me about anything," he reminded the captain, and Ephraim nodded slowly.

"I will, Lord Pit," he replied. "I promise. I just... need to think."

"I understand." With that, Pit headed off and made his way to the chamber holding the Hot Spring, but when he got there, no one was inside. He sighed and turned around, this time bound for the temple's entrance. On the way there, however, he stopped as he found Lucina coming inside. She looked up and met his gaze, and briefly breathed his name in a sigh of relief before hurrying over and throwing her arms around him.

"Mmrph!" he grunted as she placed a rather fierce kiss to his lips before pulling back. "I missed you too." She said nothing as her fingers brushed over a bruise forming on his cheekbone, a cut on his chin. Her concerned face, the worry in her eyes that never left his, told him everything he needed to know. "I'm okay, Lucina." He sighed. "Look... I'll tell you everything in a little bit. But right now, I need to talk to Remiel. Where is he?"

"I'm not sure," she replied. "Aegle's been with him. I've been talking with Henry about the monsters attacking Ylisse." Her voice strained at the mention of her homeland. "He may have... unusual ways of showing it, but I know he's worried. And he tried talking to Remiel, but Rem would have none of it."  
"It's worse than I thought," Pit admitted. "And that's why I need to talk to him." He took her hand in his for a moment. "Kuro and Ephraim are back in the Gate chamber- I think. Can you go make sure they're okay?" She nodded, and he kissed her forehead gently before releasing her hand. "Thank you." With that, they parted ways and he headed outside, opening up his mind to seek out his daughter somewhere in Skyworld.

Finding her didn't prove to be difficult, and he took to the skies for a short time before he landed on an islet bearing a shelter supported by marble pillars. Aegle sat cross-legged in front of it, her elbows braced against her legs and her chin against her palms. She looked up as he approached her and sprung to her feet.

"Father," she smiled briefly, but it faded as her eyes scanned over him. "What happened?"  
"I'll tell you in a little bit," he told her. "Where's Remiel?" She pointed down, confusing him.

"He's sitting on the little place under here," she explained. "Hasn't said a word as far as I can tell. He's worried about Master Nemo and Levica. The Hot Spring healed his injuries well enough, but I think he's still hurting in other ways."

"Understandably," he agreed. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. Now, can you do me a favor?" She tipped her head to the side in wonder. "In my chamber, underneath my bed, there's a little box. Can you get it for me and bring it to the Gate chamber? I'll meet you there and explain everything then."

"I can do that," she agreed. "...Father, are we at war?" He didn't answer for a while.

"Yes." It was several moments before she spoke again.

"All right." With that, she headed for the edge of the islet and leapt up, gliding to the next one in the direction of the temple. He sighed and took back to the air, circling around until he could land on the small piece of land floating below the one he'd been on a moment earlier. It rarely saw sunlight and was rather bare as a result, though there was a small pool of water there. Remiel sat next to it, his legs drawn up against his chest and his forehead braced against his knees. He didn't stir even as Pit stepped toward him.

"What are you doing down here?" the god wondered casually. Remiel looked up weakly, his eyes stained redder than usual.

"When I feel down, I like dark places," he replied. "I guess it's something I got from my father." His voice broke as he said the last word, and Pit sat down next to him. Neither said anything for a while. "Did you find anything?" Remiel finally asked, and Pit found himself struck with hesitation.

"I did. And... Well, I might as well tell you that the Underworld has basically declared war on both the Overworld and Skyworld. But this isn't about the Celestial Balance or my deal with your father." He could see the dumbfounded anxiety in Remiel's eyes. "Rem... your father isn't the one that attacked you and me. Or, at least it wasn't his doing." He took a deep breath. "It was Hades." Remiel inhaled a sharp gasp and stared at him.

"H-Hades?!" he stammered. "That's impossible! Father destroyed him!"  
"That's what we all thought," Pit agreed. "But apparently he couldn't completely wipe him out and still retain his power as the lord of the Underworld. So whatever was left sort of leeched off of Nemo and he's been waiting all this time for the chance to take over."

"N-No..." Remiel choked. "But... what about Father? What happened to him?!"

"I wish I knew," Pit sighed. "How much do you know about Hades?"  
"Not much," Remiel admitted. "Only what Father told me- that he was the previous lord of the Underworld and killed for the fun of it, and that he was going to destroy the Balance. That's about it." Pit nodded.

"Does Henry know anything about him?" Remiel shook his head.

"No. I don't think he even knows who Hades is, let alone any details."

"Ephraim and Lucina don't know anything about him either..." Pit took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I think it's time Kuro and I brought you all up to speed on what happened before Nemo and I became gods." Remiel nodded and got to his feet as Pit did the same. "I'm going to call everyone to the Gate chamber. I'll tell you more then, okay?"

"All right. I'll see you there then." He paused. "And... Lord Pit, thank you for taking care of me." Pit smiled a bit and rested his hand on the prince's shoulder.

"Of course, Rem." He pointed to the pendant around Remiel's neck, the insignia of Light on one side and Darkness on the other. "I gave that to you when you were only a few hours old and vowed I'd do everything I could to keep you safe. And I intend to keep that vow no matter what happens." To his surprise, Remiel's tears shed anew and he quickly stepped forward, wrapping his arms tight around Pit's back and sobbing into his chest. Pit returned the embrace and stroked his hair gently.

"Thank you, Lord Pit..." he blubbered.

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, Rem," Pit replied. "And I'll do everything I can to get your parents back. I promise."


	5. Chapter V: Lesson

It wasn't long before Pit, Kuro, Ephraim, Lucina, Aegle, Remiel, and Henry had all assembled in the Gate chamber. The god of Light headed to the back of the room near the gate, and his companions' gazes all watched him uneasily. The tension and anxiety in the air around them was almost tangible, and he could see Remiel trying as hard as he could to put on a strong face. Kuro just looked angry, and Ephraim still seemed distracted by whatever it was bothering him personally. Pit sighed inwardly and chewed his lip for a moment before raising his eyes to meet them.

"There's no need for me to remind you all of what's happening with the Underworld," he began. "So I guess I'll just jump right in. We're at war." Perhaps the most surprising thing was that no one seemed surprised. Remiel lowered his head in shame and Henry dropped his gaze. "Yes, I met with Nemo. But..." he paused, unsure how to handle such a delicate matter. "It wasn't Nemo I spoke with. It was Hades." Had his mood not been so sour, he may have laughed at the dumbfounded expressions on Lucina, Aegle, and Henry's expressions. But he had no desire to smile, let alone laugh.

"What does that mean?" Aegle asked, and Pit raised his hand in a request for silence.

"Hades was the original lord of the Underworld," he explained. "Back long before even angels existed. From what I understand, he's always been tricky to deal with, but it wasn't until after I defeated Medusa for a second time that he suddenly kicked down the door and launched a massive invasion. I defeated him in battle, but only his body. The Underworld Army built him a new body out of souls and he struck again only a few weeks later. I imprisoned him somewhere deep in the Underworld, but..." he fell silent and barely registered Remiel flinching. He knew where the story was going. "Nemo freed him. This was back when Nemo was still only the Oracle of Darkness, and he'd barely had a taste of freedom after everything he dealt with from Medusa.

"He used his power as an Oracle to mask Hades and their actions until it was too late. But..." Pit bit his lip again and turned to his twin. "Kuro, you know this better than I do." Kuro nodded and sighed as six pairs of eyes fell on him.

"Viridi had Pit and me playing fetch for the other Oracles," he went on. "I was looking for Vis up in the mountains when Nemo approached me and said I was going to die if I kept fighting for Skyworld. He offered for me to join him and Hades, so I did- not really, but I figured it'd give me a chance to see what they were up to. Hades had me steal Pit's soul so he wouldn't interfere in what they were planning, and I did- kept it safe until I could return it to him." Both Lucina and Aegle stared at him, but he ignored them and continued. "It wasn't long after that Hades, on Nemo's suggestion, unleashed a strike that basically wiped out the world save a few survivors here and there. But it left him weaker than a limp noodle, and Nemo took that opportunity to finish him off." His eyes darkened. "He said something about avenging someone named Leale and tore Hades's soul apart We thought he'd destroyed Hades himself and only left his power as the lord of the Underworld, which he took for himself, but I guess we were wrong."  
"Kuro and I fought back against him after that," Pit continued. "And Nemo and I agreed on a duel. I won, and he restored the world as best he could. But he couldn't bring back Hades, at least at the time, so he remained in power." He shrugged. "And the rest is history."

"So... Okay, so Hades wasn't a nice guy," Henry guessed, and Pit nodded.

"Not at all. He slaughtered for the fun of it and used souls for whatever suited what he wanted. He bolstered his army's numbers and... well, ate them for whatever reason. He doesn't care at all about the Celestial Balance. And... if we let him continue, then there's no telling what he'll do to the humans- and to us. He's out for revenge and had a millennium to plan it."

"But what about Father?" Remiel asked rather hopelessly.

"I don't know," Pit admitted. "I don't know if he even exists anymore or if Hades destroyed him and is just using his body- and he said he'll get rid of that soon enough."

"But if he is still alive, is there a way we could just purge Hades from his body?" Aegle wondered. Pit shook his head.

"I don't know, Aegle. As far as I know of, Nemo and Hades can't really coexist now. Their souls are too tightly bonded together. So destroying Hades would probably-" His voice caught in his throat unexpectedly, and he swallowed back a sudden lump in his throat as he realized what it was he was saying. "It would probably mean..."

"Killing Nemo," Lucina finished.

Silence fell over them for some time. Most of them had only known Nemo as a close ally, a friend, even a father. Only Pit and Kuro had ever seen him as an enemy, and that was hundreds of years ago. Pit considered him once of his closest comrades and, indeed, an even closer friend.

"No," he finally said. "Only if we have no other choice. I'll do everything in my power to find a way to save him."

"Lord Pit..." Remiel mumbled, then raised his voice. "Father would want you to do anything and everything you can to protect the Celestial Balance. No matter what it takes." Henry nodded in agreement.

"I know, Rem," Pit replied. "I know. And... if it really comes down to it..." He didn't want to think about it. "Okay. First thing's first: The humans. They can't take on the Underworld on their own, and we don't know what Hades has at his disposal. So..." He frowned in thought. "We may need to split up- Lucina and I, and maybe you, Henry, will head down to the Overworld and help them fight off the Underworld Army. Kuro, you, Ephraim, and Remiel will go to the Underworld itself and see what damage you can do on that end. We can't face Hades in a full-on battle right now."  
"So we'll break down his resources while you cut off the inflow of souls," Kuro surmised, and Pit nodded. "I've got nothing else. Let's do it."  
"So we all agree, then?" Pit asked, scanning his gaze over his companions, and one by one they nodded. Well, all but one.

"Father," Aegle pleaded. "What about me?"

"You'll stay here in Skyworld," Pit replied, and continued before she could protest. "I don't want to leave our home undefended. And while the Centurions have gotten stronger, they won't be able to handle this- especially without a leader. I need you to be that leader until we get back." She still looked like she wanted to argue, but said nothing else and nodded. "Now... do you have what I asked you to bring?" She held up the box and he took it carefully. "Thank you." He looked up again. "All right. Everyone, get ready how you see fit. We'll meet in two marks' time and head out. Kuro, I'll want to talk to you in a few." With that, and a nod from his twin, they dispersed. Pit caught Lucina's arm to keep her from leaving, and she turned to him with curiosity, grief, and concern in her eyes.

"Thank you," she said, and he tipped his head to the side. "For keeping Aegle here. I don't know what I would do if I knew she was out there fighting too."  
"I hope it doesn't come to that," he agreed. "Anyway... So... You, me, and Henry, huh? Just like old times." She smiled gently.

"It will be nice to see Ylisse again... Where I come from, the landscape would be a ruined hell right now."

"I know." He sighed. "And... I have something for you." He held up the box, and she took it carefully as her eyes watched his. "I don't know if I'd call it a gift or what... but I figured it was something you'd want to have around." He gestured to it, and she opened it carefully. And she gasped as water came to her eyes.

"Pit..." she breathed as she pulled the mask shaped like a butterfly from inside the box. Her fingers traced over the dark blue shape, the golden curves decorating it, so simple yet intricate. "Where... Where did you get this?"

"I've been keeping an eye out for it," he admitted. "For when it would be crafted in this time. I thought... I know it's given you a lot of weight, but..."

"No, you're right," she nodded. "I'm glad to have it again... And it seems I'll need it soon." It took her a moment longer before she tore her eyes away from it and met his. "Thank you, my love." He smiled softly and briefly took her into his arms. She returned the embrace before pulling back, returning her gaze to the mask. "I suppose I should prepare to embark. And you need to speak with Kuro."  
"Yeah." He followed her out and they parted ways outside the chamber, and she never took her eyes off the mask as she went. He sighed silently, hoping he hadn't just made her burden even harder to bear, but continued on until he found Kuro outside waiting for him.

"This is gonna get messy," the red-eyed angel said as Pit approached him. "Do you really think you can win this, beat Hades, and still save Nemo?"  
"Do you?"

"If that were possible, you would have brought Lady Palutena back a long time ago." The words stung, but Pit could see what he was saying.

"So you think there's really no way to destroy Hades while sparing Nemo."

"I'm being realistic, Pit," Kuro grumbled. "Look. Believe it or not, I actually like Nemo. But if it comes down to it, would you leave him alive even if it meant Hades destroying us? And what if there's nothing left to save?"

"Look, I'm not going to sacrifice the world for him," Pit snapped. "I'll do the best I can, okay? But... Right now, we need to focus on breaking down the resources Hades has. So whatever you do, don't challenge him directly. Any commanders he has are another story." Kuro feel deathly silent as he watched the skies at the edge of his vision. His expression was still, his mind lost in thought. Pit looked down for a moment. "I mean it, Kuro. Finish them off. No more chances. No more mercy." He expected a smirk, a jeer, from his twin, but Kuro only crossed his arms and turned to him with a darkly serious gaze.

"Understood," he nodded, and Pit could tell he knew just what the god was referring to. "This time, it ends." With that, he spread his wings and took to the skies toward the structure he called home, and Pit watched him go before his gaze drifted to the statue of Palutena in the distance.

About two marks later, he made his way back to the gate chamber where he found most of his companions waiting, and he felt a twinge of panic when he didn't see Lucina among them.

"We're ready to go," Kuro announced, holding the bow Dyntos had made for him so many years ago. "Got anything else you want to say?"  
"Not particularly," Pit replied. "Just... be careful. All of you."

"We will, Lord Pit," Ephraim promised. The door creaked behind them, and Pit turned around to find Lucina entering- though it took even him a moment to realize it was her. She donned her mask and had cut her hair short around the nape of her neck, and had changed from her dress to a dark undershirt and leggings with brown, closed boots. She wore pale blue, fingerless gloves and carried a white tunic and brown belt in one hand, Falchion sheathed away in the other.

"Lucina..." he breathed. She watched him from behind the mask, her mouth an unreadable line.

"Perhaps it'd be best if you call me 'Marth,'" she replied. He sighed and nodded before turning back to the trio bound for the Underworld.

"Unless we can come back sooner, let's all try to meet again here in three weeks' time." Kuro nodded, and Pit waved his hand toward the Gate. It creaked open, and he raised his arm. Kuro braced his forearm against it and the two grasped hands for a moment as Remiel bade goodbye to his brother. Then, without a word, they left.

"Well, are you two ready?" Pit asked of his companions, and they both nodded. Before he could turn for the Gate, though, Aegle hurried over and hugged him tightly.

"Don't you dare not come back," she pleaded. "I'll be mad at you if you don't." He smiled softly and held her close.

"I'll be back soon, dear. I promise." She looked up at him, then pulled back and headed over to embrace her mother briefly. Pit tried to ignore the pained look in her eyes, the begging him to come back safely, but it strangled his heart. The Keepers' words from fifteen years previous rang in his head once more.

"_Where there is life, there will be death." _

He swallowed and headed for the Gate as it again creaked open, and he cast the Power of Flight to Lucina's wings before they both dove out and Henry followed close behind.


	6. Chapter VI: Reunion

**Author's Note: **I really shouldn't work on multiple things at once and I know it. I just can't help it.  
I swear I haven't been completely unproductive over the past few months! I've actually gotten a lot of work done on my original novel. But I won't get into that right now.  
Back to _Fire Emblem_!

* * *

Pit and Lucina bade goodbye to Henry as they split up, the Underworld prince bound to start searching for the other future travelers and the god and his partner for Ylisstol.

"They're strong," she had said. "I'm sure they'll be able to help us, at least in some way." Pit knew she was also hoping to track down Morgan, wherever he was, and he admitted the man would be invaluable with his tactical prowess.  
"We'd best be landing soon," he told her. "The Power of Flight won't last much longer."

* * *

Meanwhile, just outside of Ylisstol, Chrom and a small band of Shepherds had stopped for the evening on their way to investigate the claims of monsters attacking small villages to the south. Rufure accompanied him and Emmeryn had stayed behind along with Lucina and Morgan in order to watch over the throne. He worried for his sister and children, being unable to protect them from so far away, and he'd brought some of his best knights along- Sully, Stahl, and Frederick included. Their group was small, but powerful, and he knew they would have little issue fighting off an ambush- after all, they had managed to slay the Fell Dragon with almost as small a team.

"No sign of trouble," Gaius reported as he approached and pulled off his hood and mask. "Looks like we'll be able to rest easy tonight."

"I won't rest easy until I have an explanation of these attacks," Chrom replied. Gaius shrugged and headed off without waiting to be dismissed, and the Exalt sighed as he watched the assassin go. Sure enough, several years after Grima's defeat, he'd eventually found that Gaius had returned to his thieving ways, much to the annoyance of his wife, Panne. He was bound for the gallows when Chrom caught wind of the situation and stepped in, offering him the chance to clear his name as long as he swore his service to the Ylissean throne as a spy. The sweet-loving thief hadn't been thrilled about the arrangement, but was thankful for the chance to live another day.

"Ever regret picking him back up?" Rufure teased, and he turned to her with a smile, remembering the day he'd found her collapsed in a field some time after Grima's defeat. His heart warmed to see that her bright, genuine smile had returned.

"He's good at what he does," he replied. "Though I'm a bit surprised that he's still the same thief I met almost twenty years ago." The queen laughed and shrugged.

"Oh well. At least he's putting those skills of his to good use again." Chrom nodded and touched her arm affectionately for a moment before pulling it away.

"Regardless, do you have any ideas in that gods-given brain of yours to help us figure these attacks out?" he wondered, bringing them back to the task at hand. She frowned.

"The reports said that monsters attacked," she reminded him. "But from what we know, they aren't anything like the Risen. They were described as shadows and beasts with the intelligence of a human and the strength of ten men. They wielded no weapons but were able to fire some sort of bolts of energy if they didn't simply use their bodies." She paused. "I've never even heard of something so absurd, but I'm not going to dismiss it as impossible. Strangely enough, I would have to see these things to be able to really plan at all, but at the same time, I'd rather avoid them altogether."  
"That goes for both of us," he agreed. "But I'll gladly face any threat in order to keep our people safe."

"You know I would too," she smiled, and he nodded.

Before he could speak again, however, they heard a scream, and they both looked around wildly as the Shepherds came racing out of their tents. Chrom peered up to the sky to find a Pegasus flying toward them, a young knight on its back, and she landed a short distance away from the Exalt and his wife.

"By the gods, Cynthia!" Frederick scolded as he hurried over to his daughter. "What on earth would require this kind of racket?"

"M-Monsters!" she replied, turning from her father to the Exalt. "Lord Chrom, they're coming! They appeared out of nowhere and-" She didn't get a chance to finish as other shouts cut her off, and flames began to quickly spread through the trees.

"Save the supplies!" Chrom barked out as he drew forth the Exalted Falchion. "And get ready for the fight of your life! We have to escape the fire!"  
"We're not too far from the field," Rufure pointed out. "It'll be easier to fight in the open, though we won't have as much cover. But it would be easier to escape."

"Then we make for the field! Quickly, everyone!" They both scrambled to assist in packing up what supplies they needed, and Frederick turned back to the Pegasus Knight.

"It seems you'll be seeing combat after all," he told her as she watched him with wide, fearful eyes. "Stay close to me, understand? I'll protect you." She nodded vigorously and urged her Pegasus forward as he retrieved his horse and lance.

"They must be starting fires in multiple spots," Rufure noticed as the smoke began to thicken. "Leave the rest of it!" she called out. "Just go! Get moving!" Chrom didn't bother arguing with her, and the Shepherds began their retreat through the brush and smoke.  
"Something about all this seems oddly familiar," he muttered as he rushed along, Rufure close to his side.

"Like the first time we fought the Risen?" she huffed. Before he could reply, a blast of energy appeared from the trees and struck the tactician, and she howled in pain as she stumbled and fell to the dirt.

"Rufure!" he cried as he spun around and knelt down at her side to help her back to her feet.

"G-Gods, what _was _that?" she demanded, her eye twitching with pain. He looked up at the sound of shuffling in the leaves.

"We may be about to find out," he replied and held up Falchion as she drew forth a silver sword. Sure enough, not a moment later did a group of odd, dark creatures break through the trees, howling and growling at them as they fanned out. Some were built low to the ground while others were airborne, and they held no visible weapons. Some, however, appeared to simply _be _a weapon, with sharpened limbs and sharp teeth. The only shared trait the Exalt could see was the dark aura they all possessed.

"Those reports weren't kidding," Rufure breathed as she and her husband took up their stances with their backs to each other. "These things really are monsters."

"We've fought monsters before," he replied. "We just have to figure out their attack pattern." The monsters didn't wait long before they struck in a flurry of claws, teeth, limbs, and energy shots that the two blocked, dodged, and parried desperately. Their injuries came quickly and Chrom skidded back with a huff as blood dripped down his arm, and he rushed forward to stab Falchion through his most immediate assailant. He heard a cast of magic behind him as Rufure switched from her sword to her tome, and though they managed to fell several of the monsters, they kept coming and showed no signs of mercy or hesitation.  
"We're in trouble," Rufure gasped. "These things are demons!"

"We have to break through and retreat," Chrom huffed. "It's our only chance." But there was no visible route of escape. The monsters had them surrounded and the smoke was only thickening as the fires burned closer.

"Chrom," she said desperately. "I love you." He felt his heart thud in his chest at the sound of the panic, and even defeat, in her voice.

"I love you too," he replied. "But don't give up. We're going to find a way out of here. We have to get back to Lucina and Morgan!" She didn't get a chance to reply as the monsters bore down on them again, and Chrom's instinct got the best of him. He lunged forward and wrapped his arms tightly and protectively around his wife, using his body to shield her from the assault, and pain quickly overwhelmed him.

His ears picked up the sound of a battle cry, followed by the sound of a cast of magic and the slash of a blade. It continued for several moments before silence suddenly fell around them save the crackle of flames that sounded as though they were heading away, and he dared to look up even as he held Rufure so tightly. He found two figures standing there, one with a cobalt weapon edged in gold that resembled a bow, and the other with... It was impossible. The man with the bow garbed himself in a sleeveless white tunic with a belt tied around his waist, dark pants, and brown boots, and his brown hair was cut around the base of his neck with his bangs swept to the side and out of his eyes. His companion had dark blue hair cut at a similar length but with choppier locks and bangs along with eyes hidden from view by a mask.

"You okay?" The man with the bow asked, his blue eyes filled with concern. Chrom hesitantly released his wife and straightened up, though pain passed quickly through his body.

"We're alive," he replied. "Thank you. My name is Chrom, and this is my wife, Rufure."  
"We know who you are," the man said with a slight smile. "Where are my manners? Lord Chrom, Lady Rufure," he dipped his head. "I'm Pit. I... serve as an escort and messenger for my companion here." He gestured to the one in the mask.  
"I see..." Chrom said slowly. "That sword... Where did you get that?" He could feel a strong, serious gaze watching him from behind the mask.  
"Falchion was forged from Naga's fang," the masked one replied. "I have kept it close throughout the years. And I can see you know of its power." Chrom blinked, looking from the Exalted Falchion to the one this stranger wielded.  
"I... suppose so..." he frowned and shook his head. "But I guess that isn't important right now. What's your name?" The stranger hesitated.

"You may call me Marth."

Chrom gaze met those same masked eyes for several moments, but they didn't waver, and they remained silent until Rufure cleared her throat.

"You were named for the Hero-King?" she asked, and Marth didn't immediately reply before nodding. "Well, if you and your companion were able to fight off those monsters, then you must have power like a hero."

"Your words are kind," Marth remarked. "But what you have seen this evening is but a fraction of our opponent's power. Pit knows much about them, and he is an invaluable ally to me."

"Er, right," Pit smiled sheepishly. "We shouldn't stay here, not with all this smoke. And you, Lord Chrom, seem pretty hurt."

"Right," Chrom nodded, and Rufure took his arm around her shoulders to help support him. "The Shepherds should be outside the trees. From there, we'll go back to Ylisstol."  
"What about the villages?" Rufure wondered, and he shook his head.

"We've seen enough. This isn't something we can keep putting off. Besides," he returned his gaze to Pit and this mysterious masked Marth. "I think we've found a couple of very strong allies that know quite a bit about what we're up against. Will you join us? You will have shelter at the castle and we'll provide you with whatever you need." The two newcomers exchanged a glance, and Marth nodded slightly.  
"We'll accept your offer," Pit replied once he'd turned back to them. "Thank you, Lord Chrom. We'll do everything we can to help save your people from this threat."


End file.
